Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation’s centenary year marked a time of celebration, thoughtful reflection, and inspiring progress. As one of Australia’s foremost philanthropic organisations, we have long been dedicated to addressing the critical issues facing our community through innovative and scalable solutions. In 2023-2024, our impact was felt deeply across Greater Melbourne, reinforcing our commitment to creating lasting social change.
The centenary celebrations were anchored by the launch of the For Purpose Impact Accelerator Hub, a dynamic space designed for purpose-driven organisations. It has quickly grown into a vibrant community hub, fostering collaboration and hosting events with our partners. This initiative underscores our commitment to empowering organisations that align with our vision of a more inclusive and resilient community.
We also embarked on an important reconciliation journey with Melbourne’s First Nations peoples, which we hold as a central part of our future work. Our first Reconciliation Action Plan is set to launch at the end of 2024, reflecting our long-term commitment to meaningful engagement with Indigenous communities and advancing reconciliation.
We farewelled our Chief Executive Officer, Dr Catherine Brown OAM, whose leadership over the past 12 years has transformed the Foundation. Under Dr Brown’s stewardship, we saw the launch of key initiatives such as the Affordable Housing Challenge, social impact investment projects, and the modernisation of the Foundation’s Act of Parliament. Her thoughtful and inspirational leadership has left an indelible mark on the Foundation.
We extend our thanks to Paul Bird, former Chair of the Board, for his leadership during the centenary year and his five years of dedicated service as a Board member.
With Peter Walton now at the helm as Chief Executive Officer, we look forward to an exciting new chapter. Peter brings a wealth of experience in transformative philanthropy and a commitment to systems change, and place based locally led development.
As our centenary celebrations draw to a close, our focus now shifts to the future. We continue to ask important questions: Where can the Foundation make the most significant impact? How can we address the challenges facing Greater Melbourne with bold and brave action?
On behalf of the Board and staff, I would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to our generous donor community and remarkable partners. Your unwavering support enables the Foundation to continue its pursuit of positive social change.
We look forward to the future with optimism and determination, with reconciliation, sustainability, and social justice guiding every step of our journey.
Warm regards
Janina Gawler
Board Chair
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